Notice how Christ speaks of His impending crucifixion. The complex of events that are precipitated by hatred, betrayal, and injustice, He repeatedly describes as His “hour” (Jn 2:4; 7:30; 8:20). This hour is the apex of His coming, the very hour that He will be glorified (Jn 12:23).

We should take careful notice of how Jesus refers to His crucifixion as a glorification (though resurrection and ascension is tightly linked in thought). This was His plan. What appeared as defeat is only divine victory.

Though it would appear as a destruction, it was His passage to the Father (Jn 13:3; 16:28). It more profoundly revealed God to man than any other epiphany and in this it was the deepest revelation of God’s glory.

He called this greatest of all evil, tribulation, and pain His hour of glorification (Jn 13:31). It was His departure: “Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father” (Jn 13:1). It was His work of preparation for His own: “I go to prepare a place for you” (Jn 14:3).

It would be accomplished by His being “lifted up”—a reference that seems to both allude to exaltation but paradoxically through the shame of being lifted up upon a cross: “when I am lifted up from the earth” (Jn 12:32). It was not only the sole atoning means of indiscriminately drawing people to Himself (Jn 12:32), it was also “the judgment of this world” (12:31). All this was included in His description: “He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die” (Jn 12:33).

Our part is to believe that if Christ can use the greatest of all evil for the greatest of all good (glory of God and salvation of man), then we can trust Him through every trial, tribulation, injustice, pain, and evil affliction. If the greatest of evil can be spoken of in euphemism by God, then we can find comfort in trusting Him through our lesser trials.